Student Safety

Deborah Meissner

Director, HR (Classified), Health & Safety

Student Safety, under the direction of the Office of Health & Safety, is responsible for providing a safe environment conducive to learning. In maintaining the safety of our students, it is the responsibility of the department to enforce the rules written in the District Handbook, as well as the Code of Student Conduct.

Students have access to many informative activities and support programs. Red Ribbon Week and Saturday Family Workshop, made possible through the Safe and Drug-Free School Consortium, are just two examples of programming available to educate about the danger of using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The Guidance and Intervention Assistance programs are easily accessible to students who are in need of assistance. There are also programs available for parents to explore and educate themselves about the issues facing their children.

Providing a safe learning environment for students is an important component of the Westerville City Schools mission statement. As part of a cooperative agreement between the Westerville Schools, Genoa Township and the City of Westerville a police officer is assigned as a School Resource Officer to each high school and middle school.

The Educational Options for Success (EOS) program provides high school students with the opportunity to continue to earn academic credit in spite of long-term removal from school for serious conduct violations. The program assists in efforts to reduce truancy and dropout rates.

Through state funds, the Westerville City School District has implemented the Safe School Hotline (1-800-418-6423 ext. 359). This is a 24-hour-a-day service designed so callers, anonymously, can report concerns regarding student safety in the district. Help-line users receive an identification number when they call in, enabling them to call back and get an update regarding what has been done to address the situation they reported.

This administrative department is either not active or does not exist.